The ice in the towel had mostly melted and he put it on the table between them. Imogen shimmed her chair closer and put another hand on top of his.
“You know what it’s like to live underground too. That’s what I meant when I said switching sides. When you come out of hiding, you start to think of people other than yourself. You think beyond yourself in the present moment and you try to have a future. And there are two sides in this matter, so you must decide where you need to go.”
Chaz clenched his jaw. He felt no pain, but the memory of the punch hit him over and over again. He deserved that. If he came out of hiding, and he really became Chaz Solomon again—like he had been doing in so many small ways—he would have to face all of the repercussions for his actions. If that meant being torn apart by the Judge for what he’d done to Nat, then it would have to be so. It would be worth it.
Because Imogen was right. Having a future meant you were responsible for your past. It meant the past existed and the present moment, while fun, was only passing. More than ever, Chaz knew he wanted a future—and he wanted it with Sully. He wanted Sully to be safe, so his job, his livelihood, and his friends and family also needed to be safe.
“Can I talk to him?”
“To Nat? Or to Gabe?”
“Maybe later to Gabe about the case. But can I talk to Nat first? I need to say I’m sorry.”
Imogen nodded. She squeezed Chaz’s hand as she got up. She took the towel and dropped it into the sink before she dipped into the living room. The murmurs on the other side of the wall seemed like static white noise. Chaz realized he wasn’t breathing and had to catch his breath. Nat eclipsed Imogen and shut the kitchen door behind him. He stood, leaning against the knob, for the longest moment of Chaz’s life.
“Hi.”
“Hi.”
Chaz stood up from the table but didn’t swoop Nat into a hug like he thought he would. During Chaz’s darkest days, he’d envisioned this moment again and again. Except that when they’d meet again, it would be outside Divine Interventions and instead of Chaz handing Nat over to Atticus, he’d run away with him. Sometimes they’d end up in Nunavut, the States, or in Mexico, and they’d live forever without Atticus looking over their shoulder. They settled down, maybe in a house like this one, and everything was okay.
But things hadn’t worked out that way.
Instead Chaz stared at Nat, who had found the house and the husband and the happily ever after—with purpose—without him.
All Chaz could think of was the red velvet cake at a diner being the last thing they ate together. Now that cake could never compare to the kind Sully made from a box. Chaz was so, so foolish to ever think Sully had looked like Nat. He hadn’t. Nat was something he’d left behind a long time ago and Sully… Sully was the person he was supposed to run away with.
The seconds after their stark greeting passed by. Chaz realized he’d been silent for too long. “I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, you should be.”
“I’m very sorry.”
Nat laughed. “I know. You should be. But I think it worked out. I’m fine. You’re fine. And I’m happy.”
Chaz wasn’t that fine. He still had a case to solve, with no leads now, since the last one only led him to Juan—who was Gabe, a good guy. Every single lead Chaz thought he’d found in this case didn’t lead him toward depravity, but toward redemption and atonement. Now he needed to actually face it once and for all.
“I’m glad you’re happy, but I’m still really sorry. Everything could have been so much easier.”
“I kind of doubt it would have been easy between us. You snored.”
“I did? I never really slept, though. How could I have snored?”
“At Divine Interventions you slept a lot. Nothing else to do.”
“Fair.” Chaz grew quiet again. “So Gabe doesn’t snore?”
“Oh, he does. But I can stand it now. I want to stand it.”
Chaz nodded, understanding that sometimes wanting to endure whatever petty annoyances there were meant all the difference. “I’m glad.”
“Yeah, me too. Gabe’s great.”
“Are we okay, then?”
“We’re fine. It may take a while to be okay, but I’m glad you’re all right.”
“You too. Is… Gabe going to punch me again?”
“Probably,” Nat said, laughing. “But I can tell him not to this time. No guarantees, but you know, he usually listens to me.”
“Okay, sounds fair.”
Nat glanced to the doorway when someone groaned. Probably Gabe, listening in and still wanting to avenge his love. Chaz felt no remorse anymore, no jealousy. He was happy enough to be forgiven, even if Gabe did want to punch him again.
“Do you want to stay for dinner?” Nat asked. “We could figure out what’s going on with our research. Maybe see if we can help solve your vamp case?”
“That sounds nice. But maybe for a while, we shouldn’t talk shop.”
“Okay, deal.” Nat held out his hand. Chaz took a step forward and shook it, then pulled him into a hug. Nat went willingly and wrapped his arms around Chaz. The hug lasted for only a minute before Nat took the first step away.
“I’ll get started with cooking. Is homemade mac and cheese still your favorite?”
“Oh, definitely.”
Chapter 37
DINNER WAS great. Nat and Imogen cooked together, while Tansy brought in Blossom, their adopted daughter, to help ease the tension between Chaz and Gabe. That tension was definitely still there. Gabe’s answers to all of Chaz’s questions were short and to the point. Not enough to be rude, but enough for Chaz to understand that Gabe was still not on board with letting Nat’s ex, who had given him to Atticus, be chummy at the table. Chaz tried not to let Gabe’s tone get to him, but that only worked until dessert. When Gabe got up to go outside for “some air,” Chaz glanced at Imogen, then Nat.
“Should I go follow him? Maybe beg forgiveness?”
“You know,” Imogen said, “that may not be a bad idea. If you… uh, get into a situation—”
“I’ll hang by and listen in for trouble,” Nat said. “Gabe knows not to get into fisticuffs anymore.”
“Still, I understand why he wants to. I do.”
Chaz found Gabe on the back porch, Gabe glancing out over the forest of evergreens. The sky was nearly black and pinpricked with so many stars from lack of city light. As soon as Chaz stepped outside, he started talking.
“Hey, are you thinking of—” Gabe noticed it was Chaz, not Nat. His face set to stone again and he turned back to the trees. “Sorry, I thought you were someone else.”
“I know. Nat’s close by and says not to hit me.”
“Trust me. That’s the only reason why I’m not.”
Chaz flinched, but he nodded. He gingerly walked closer to Gabe and placed his hands on the porch railing. “And trust me when I say I understand why you’re upset.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I’ve apologized to Nat. I’ve… beat myself up for years over what’s happened.”
“Still doesn’t undo it.”
“I know. And that’s something I have to make peace with as much as Nat.”
“You’re not the victim here.”
“Not in this case, no. I did what I thought I had to do to survive, which made me a perpetrator because I didn’t know any better. And I’m sorry for that. But I’m genuinely trying to change.”
Gabe regarded Chaz for a moment. Compassion flashed across his face but soon disappeared with a shrug. “So your research trip, the one that led you to me, is part of your desire to change? To be part of the good guys?”
“Um, yeah. I’m investigating. I’m doing the same thing you are, though that map is way more advanced than I ever realized.”
“You guys have a map?”
“Not really. Not on the police force. We have a list of names of vamps who have been killed, and that’s only because Sully, one of Artie’s workers, helped me to trans
late some documents. We figure that our vampire killer is targeting vamps who he sees as responsible for his own condition. Chances are, he killed the person who infected him first. But we have no idea who that is because we can’t track the strain like you guys. And now, I can’t bring up most of my evidence to my bosses because I’ve gotten it out of turn. I thought you were the guy, actually.”
“Really? Me?”
“You took out a lot of blood from Artie’s house. And… you asked Sully to dress up like Nat. Seemed suspicious, you know?”
Gabe rolled his eyes. “Ugh. Not my finest moment. I couldn’t call him here because the phone was dead and well, I just wanted company. Silly.”
“No, I get it. I picked up the same person later on that night because he looked like Nat.”
Gabe tilted his head. “Old flames die hard.”
“Except that while I loved Nat and always will, I love this new person too. And I realize now that I’d do anything to protect him. Including punching a vampire in his jaw if I thought he would hurt him. Or already had.”
Gabe eyed Chaz again, assessing the veracity of the statement. When he nodded, Chaz knew they had gotten somewhere. It wasn’t much, but a kind of understanding passed between them—they shared the same goals and objectives, even if for different reasons.
“You should take that map,” Gabe said.
“Hmm?”
“The map with all the vampire outlines. Maybe your first victim is on it and you can find the killer from there.”
“Maybe,” Chaz said. “Thank you.”
When Nat came out with mugs of coffee, Chaz took his with thanks—but soon left Gabe and Nat alone. The space between their bodies had disappeared, and it was so clear to Chaz they were made for each other.
Chaz talked to Imogen in the front foyer, and she gave him copies of all their research while she balanced Blossom on her hip. The girl was maybe four or five but small for her age. She wore flowers in her dark hair and clung to Imogen’s side.
“You asked before what Gabe and Nat have been doing, and while I wasn’t lying, I forgot to mention one other thing they’ve been working on.” Imogen pulled a card from a pocket on her blazer. It was just like the saint cards at the other crime scenes, only this time it was a woman on it.
“This… this looks like you. Or Blossom.”
Imogen grinned. “I think that’s what Nat was going for. But it’s supposed to be Saint Therese of Lisieux. She’s the patron saint of florists and gardeners, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDs sufferers. We haven’t used this card in circulation yet. But I think it’s good for you to have it. If you meet any of the workers, they know you’re a good guy. One of us.”
Chaz nodded, swallowing hard. He flipped the card over and noticed a number written on the back. Probably hers, possibly this house. Either way, Chaz was accepted. He’d never known a feeling quite like this, other than dinner with Artie or being in Sully’s arms. “Thank you.”
“Thank you,” Imogen said. “Stay safe. Let us know how the investigation goes.”
“Good luck with your kids,” Chaz said. “I hope it all works out for you soon. Don’t put it off too long.”
Imogen smiled as she saw him out. Chaz knew he’d be back there again; he just hoped it would be with answers the next time around.
An hour after he drove away from the house, his phone hummed to life in his pocket. With the signal back, a dozen messages clouded his screen. He brushed all of them away and dialed the only one that mattered.
“Hi. I need to speak to Sully,” Chaz said as soon as Artie’s line was picked up. “Please. Now.”
“Okay, okay. Just let me get him, Chaz,” Tabby said. After another second, the line was transferred. “Sully?”
“Chaz. Where are you?”
“Oh, a couple hours out from Toronto. I can come to see you before midnight, though. Maybe a little after. I have so many things to show you. So many—”
“So you haven’t seen the news?”
“No. Why would I worry about the news?” Chaz remembered the protestors and the camera crew from that morning, along with the slogans about vampire blood on the force. “Is this about the Citizen’s Brigade? It’s nothing, Sully. Just ignore them. I thought Jack would have gotten rid of them by now.”
When a cop pulled up behind Chaz’s car, he didn’t adjust his speed or worry that much about talking on his cell phone. It was dark outside, and even if the officer wanted to write up Chaz for not using a hands-free device, he could cite the fact that he was delivering important information about an active case.
“Chaz, where are you exactly?” Sully said, his voice hitched with worry. “Can you get away? Get to a safe house?”
“What? Why?”
“They know. They know you’re a vampire.”
“What?”
“It’s everywhere. Someone talked. I don’t know if it was Reggie who figured it out and sold his story, or some reporter named Igby who keeps appearing on the news, but they have you. They know. And there’s a warrant for your arrest.”
Chaz swallowed. The cop tailing him now had his lights flashing. There was no use running, no use turning off his company issued phone that no doubt had GPS in it. He was trapped.
“Sully?”
“Yeah?” His voice trembled. “They have you right now, don’t they?”
“Yeah, they do. It’s okay, though.”
“Fuck. I’ll call someone—Athena? She was the lawyer in this mess. Nothing like having a goddess lawyer on your side, right? I’ll get it—”
“No, Sully, listen to me closely. Make sure you take no new clients tonight. Let no one get close to you. I have to go now.”
Chaz disconnected the phone before he stayed on long enough for it to be traced. He threw it out the window and hoped the highway would take care of it. He glanced at the files Imogen had given him and tried to shove them under the seat—not that it would do any good.
There are two sides now, Imogen had said. You have to pick where you want to go.
Chaz pulled his car to the side of the road, his hands at ten and two, and prepared himself for his fate.
Chapter 38
THE ARRESTING officers put Chaz inside interview room three. Chaz flashed to his first few days on the force when he’d interviewed a mugger who had stolen a bunch of credit cards and questioning him in the same room. Chaz had been so, so worried about the two-way mirror giving him away with the small halo around his head. No one back then thought that anyone on the force could have been a vamp, so no one suspected him.
When the officer tossed him in the room and barked orders at him to stay, he glanced at the mirror against the wall. Chaz’s reflection was there, solid and complete. The faint halo of light was there too.
“How the hell can you show up?” the officer asked. “Aren’t you a vamp?”
“I’m still born of a body. I have a glow of the supernatural—that’s all.”
“Disgusting.” The officer made a face and left. Chaz didn’t know his name. None of it mattered now, because everyone knew his secret and he’d made the decision not to hide. It was the most terrifying and freeing decision he’d ever made.
Chaz waited on the edge of the chair and replayed the typical interrogation sequence. They would question him for fraud. For lying on official documents, and he would bring up Divine Interventions and Atticus Dubcek. Atticus was alive in jail, so that was where they could get that information if they needed it checked. Chaz knew that was still a gamble, but if Atticus did work for the good side now, maybe he’d be honest.
When Jack entered the room a couple minutes later, his face was grave. “Chip. Or should I say Chaz Solomon?”
“Yes, please call me that.”
“Shit, man. So you admit it?”
“I’m a vampire, yes. And I’m sorry for all the confusion. I know we were partners, but….”
Jack shook his head. He sat down on the rickety chair and unbuttoned his jacket. He stared at the file fol
der a long time. “Do you understand how much trouble you’re in?”
“I know. Lying on the force is bad. But look—I’m willing to help out. I have so many leads for our case, but I can’t help unless I can be open. So charge me with fraud. I’ll find a lawyer and I’ll beat that even though the system is rigged against monsters, which is why I had to get Atticus to lie for me in the first place.”
“Atticus Dubcek?”
Chaz nodded. Jack wrote down the name and underlined it, but his face still seemed ashen. Chaz wanted to say he was sorry a million times over. Jack was his friend; they’d been so close not six months ago. He deserved better than this.
“Look, Jack. I wanted to come clean. I wanted to tell you, but it was the only way to keep my job.”
“So why kill people?”
“What?”
“Why kill other vamps? Did they want to expose you?”
“Whoa, whoa. Wait. No. I didn’t do those murders. I have evidence of who did, though.”
“Then who? Because let me tell you, Chaz, right now it’s looking pretty good for you. You know the system. You know procedure. Fuck, you were even around when the evidence was destroyed at the brothel and vamp blood was mixed with elemental. You weren’t working when we found Ramirez, and you were already at the scene when we showed up. Then there’s tonight. Don’t even get me started on tonight.”
“What happened tonight?”
“A protestor was killed. A human one, man. So we have you for sure.”
“I couldn’t have done that. It couldn’t have been me. I’ve been searching down another lead around the Kawartha Lakes region. Come on, you have to believe me.”
“Who were you with?”
“Imogen Nicholas. She’s a social worker. And, um….” Chaz trailed off. Nat and Gabe were in witness protection. He couldn’t say he was with them, because it would only expose them all over ago. So he gave Gabe’s fake name, and what he remembered of Tansy. He didn’t mention Nat at all.
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